Arthritis is a painful and debilitating condition. The inflammation of your joints can cause intense pain and affect your overall quality of life, but there are some small changes you can make to your diet to limit the flare ups you experience. Avoid the following foods to ease your arthritis symptoms and live a more active life!
1. White Potatoes Can Attribute To Arthritis Pain
White potatoes—such as those used in instant mashed potatoes and your favorite french fries—can be causing increased pain in your joints. These refined carbs can cause your body to produce advanced glycation end (AGE) products, which stimulate inflammation and pain for arthritis sufferers.
Decrease the consumption of potatoes in your diet and watch your symptoms improve!
2. Refrain From Ordering Chinese Takeout
Prepared Asian cuisine and soy sauce contains MSG, or monosodium glutamate, which can enhance painful arthritis symptoms. MSG can trigger inflammation and also lead to liver damage, so it’s best to put down the Chinese menu and prepare a healthier dish at home.
The following beverage should not be consumed in excess if you are suffering from arthritis!
3. Caffeine Can Put You At Risk For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Your morning cup of coffee may play a big role in your day, but drinking caffeine in excess can lead to the development of anti-cyclic citrullinated protein, which is associated with the presence of rheumatoid arthritis. This link is still being researched, but it’s best to limit your caffeine intake to take control of your joint health!
4. Cut Back On Your Cheese Intake
Although you may enjoy some extra parmesan on your pasta, you may want to skip the extra cheese next time you eat Italian. Cheese is filled with saturated fat, which can cause inflammation and raise your bad cholesterol.
Those with arthritis are more susceptible to developing heart disease, so it’s best to slash your cheese intake for better health!
5. Fast Food Contributes To Joint Pain
Pulling up to the drive-thru is easy and convenient, but it may be worsening your arthritis symptoms.
Fast food and fried foods in general are filled with trans fats, which are linked to increased inflammation. Decrease the amount of fried food you consume to see a change in your arthritis and your quality of life.
The following food should also be avoided at all costs…
6. Added Sugar Is Your Enemy
Sugar is hidden in many of your favorite foods, including soda, fruit juice, and pastries. Processed sugar is especially dangerous, since consuming it causes the release of cytokines in the body, triggering an inflammatory response.
Cutting back on sugar can make a serious impact on your joints and your body in general!
7. Limit Your Cocktail Consumption For Joint Health
Your daily glass of wine with dinner may seem harmless, but your alcohol intake may be causing an increase in joint pain. The consumption of alcohol may affect your joints and overall lifestyle, and can even lead to gout.
Cut your alcohol consumption and stay active in order to avoid increased pain due to arthritis!
8. Red Meat Can Trigger A Flare Up
A lot of meat products, especially red meat, are filled with saturated fat, which is linked to inflammation of fat tissue and the development of bad cholesterol. Incorporate more vegetarian dishes into your diet for fewer flare ups.
The next slide reveals that you may have to rethink one of your biggest food groups!
9. Buttering Your Bread Could Be Bad
Butter on toast is a breakfast go-to, but this spread is packed with saturated fat that can worsen the inflammation of your joints—and raise your bad cholesterol.
Try spreading some coconut oil on your toast or using it as a cooking alternative. Coconut oil has been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties, and that is good news when it comes to your joints.
10. Limit Gluten To Lessen Arthritis Symptoms
Gluten is present in wheat, rye, and barley, which includes pasta and other grain-based products you may regularly consume. Many arthritis sufferers also have a gluten allergy, and consuming these foods can worsen joint pain.
Avoid gluten to take the pressure off of your joints and prevent your arthritis symptoms from worsening.
11. Artificial Sweeteners Can Inflame Your Joints
Making the choice to go sugar-free is beneficial to your overall health, but substituting artificial sweeteners to get your fix can be even more detrimental to your joint health. Aspartame, a sugar substitute, is a neurotoxin that directly affects the brain. If your body is sensitive to neurotoxins, inflammation may rise, leading to increased pain to the joints.
The following food can be the direct cause of your excessive inflammation, too…
12. Dairy Contains Inflammatory Properties
Dairy products, especially those labeled full-fat, can really wreak havoc on your arthritis symptoms. A large amount of saturated fat in dairy products causes the inflammation of adipose tissue (fat tissue), which can worsen the pain in your joints.
Consuming less dairy can ease your joints and help keep your bad cholesterol levels low!
13. Excess Salt Can Cause Serious Problems For Arthritis Sufferers
Everyone knows that a diet high in salt can be detrimental to a person’s heart health, but these effects can be intensified to someone with arthritis. Those with rheumatoid arthritis can have inflamed coronary arteries with a high-salt diet, and this can lead to hypertension.
Limit your consumption of high-salt foods to lower inflammation and decrease the risk of heart disease!
14. Eggs For Breakfast May Be Linked To Chronic Inflammation
Although eggs are acclaimed as a good source of protein to start your day, this food may be causing your joint pain. Eggs contain arachidonic acid,is a fatty acid that can lead to chronic inflammation.
Cutting back on your daily breakfast of scrambled eggs can improve your joint pain!
15. The Frozen Food Aisle May Be At Fault
Frozen prepackaged dinners and snacks are filled with trans fats, which trigger inflammation and make your arthritis symptoms worse. Avoid buying any frozen meals and try to cook from scratch as often as you can to ease your inflamed joints and start feeling like yourself again.
The next food can be making your joints ache regularly…
16. White Flour Is A Recipe For Disaster On Your Joints
Bread, crackers, and rolls all contain white flour, which can increase inflammation through the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) products within the body. Refraining from consuming these types of refined carbohydrates can improve your arthritis and take some pressure off of your joints.
Processed carbohydrates can do damage to your body, and you will see an improvement if you avoid them!
17. Not All Vegetables Are Created Equal
Arthritis sufferers should avoid gluten when possible, and the body breaks corn down like gluten because of its appearance—even though it is not. This causes a bodily response and increases inflammation, causing your joint pain to increase.
Opt to munch on other veggies to avoid increased joint pain while eating healthy!
18. Too Many Nuts Can Cause Inflammation
Although a handful of nuts contains Omega-3 acids that have anti-inflammatory properties, overdoing it can have the opposite effect.
Nuts are also high in Omega-6 fatty acids, and increasing your intake can cause inflammation to increase. Eating nuts in moderation can prevent any inflammation.
The next food makes even a salad less beneficial to your body…
19. Vegetable Oil Is A Slick Inflammation Culprit
Although indulging in a salad for lunch seems like a healthy choice, your salad dressing may contain some super inflammatory substances. Vegetable oil can be found in mayonnaise, salad dressings, barbeque sauce, and even potato chips, and it contains a ton of Omega-6 fatty acids that have inflammatory properties.
Avoiding foods that contain vegetable oils can greatly improve your inflamed joints.
20. High-Calorie Foods Sabotage Your Joints
Foods high in calories and fat can lead to weight gain, which can be detrimental to joint health. Excess weight puts more pressure on your joints, and this can exacerbate arthritis symptoms.
Making healthier food choices can ease your joint pain and help to improve the health of your entire body!
